Former Myrtle Beach planning director cites strained relationship with City Council for abrupt retirement

The former Myrtle Beach planning director said a strained relationship between the Planning Commission and City Council and what he called a lack of connection to preserving history led to his abrupt retirement in June.

It was common knowledge among Myrtle Beach officials that former Planning Director Jack Walker intended to retire this year, though no one expected that a City Council meeting that left him frustrated on June 9 would lead him to retire three days later.

Walker said he was growing frustrated by what he called a deterioration of the relationship between the Planning Commission and City Council over several years.

“Back in the golden era [in the 1990s], the Planning Commission and City Council worked closely together,” he said. “That relationship has somehow gone away.”

Walker said the talented people on the Planning Commission, City Council and other council-appointed boards need to find a way to work better together.

“There is a lack of communication between those groups and lack of leadership in creating the future for the city,” Walker said. “It’s just a shame to see all these beautiful resources that we’ve got – some volunteer [commissions] and some elected – and not have a more positive kind of working relationship.”

Former City Manager Tom Leath, who retired last year, said he takes responsibility for any tension between City Council and the Planning Commission.

“There was frustration on everybody’s part when I was there,” Leath said. “They were not seeing eye-to-eye and not going in the same direction.”

But Leath said at the end of the day, City Council gets final say on the direction of the city.

“If I was advising [City Council] or the Planning Commission is advising them, it is up to us to understand where they’re going and advise them the best way to get there,” he said. “If City Council looks at you and says, ‘thank you for your opinion, we’re going to go the other way,’ you’ve got to understand your role. If the folks you’re advising don’t want to take your advise, they don’t have to.

“I should have done more with the planning staff and the Planning Commission to get them on the same page as City Council. It’s one of my great failures.”

City Manager John Pedersen said there needs to be increased collaboration with council, the Planning Commission and a new planning director to get things back on track.

“It’s going to take some meeting of the minds between the two on a common vision for the community,” Pedersen said. “I think it’s possible to do that, but it’s going to take some dialogue between the two bodies to accomplish that.”

Planning Commission Chairman Derrick Mozingo, who has served on the board for 12 years, said he thinks there are misunderstandings about what each body’s intentions are.

“There was not as much collaboration between the two boards as there should have been,” he said.

Mozingo said the Planning Commission had hoped to take a “field trip” to Mount Pleasant with City Council to show council members how some of the zoning recommendations they’ve made have been implemented in nearby areas. The groups have been unable to coordinate their schedules, Mozingo said.

“I thought [the field trip] was a good idea,” Councilman Randal Wallace said. “Getting everybody together gives us an opportunity to build those relationships and things to get along better.”

Mozingo also said having a strong relationship would benefit both groups.

“It’s important to have regular meetings where we all sit around the table so that we can all understand where we’re coming from and what we want,” he said. “I think any relationship must have communication to thrive.”

Walker also said he feels as though City Council members not only disregard advice, but criticize commissioners publicly.

“In addition to abandoning or not listening, increasingly the groups that they seek this advice from – they criticize them and question them and get offended,” he said. “City Council requests advice from them. The last thing that you want to do is criticize them if they give you advice that you’re not fond of.

“I can say this now because I’m not here, but it is an expression of an opinion that is said by a number of people” Walker said. “This is my way of providing an opportunity for things to be done and have some improvements.”

Wallace stressed that he appreciates all of the guidance given to City Council by the various boards and commissions.

“I think, certainly, we value the advice that we get from them and try to accept it,” he said. “We don’t change things without giving them a lot of thought.”

But Councilman Wayne Gray said he doesn’t believe there is a rift between council and the Planning Commission.

“I don’t share those same feelings,” Gray said. “That may have been Jack’s perception ... but I think you’ll find that most of the time we take the advice of the Planning Commission.”

Walker said he reached his breaking point during a disagreement with senior management at a June City Council meeting about the future of the former Fitzgerald Motel, which, along with Charlie’s Place nightclub, was the site of performances for renowned artists including Little Richard and Billie Holiday.

Walker said he was upset that the former Fitzgerald Motel would likely be demolished, showing what he called a lack of appreciation for history from City Council and senior staff.

Mozingo said Walker’s strongest qualities as a planning director also may have led to his tension with City Council.

“He has strong passion,” Mozingo said. “He has strong vision. And, unfortunately, passion and vision sometimes don’t go with politics.”

This story was originally published August 29, 2015 at 2:12 AM with the headline "Former Myrtle Beach planning director cites strained relationship with City Council for abrupt retirement."